When Springtime rolls around, they say a man's fancies turn to thoughts of love. That may be true, but there is a good chunk of us who actually can't stop thinking about going on a spring bear hunt. After all, when you've been cooped up all winter long, what better way to brush off the duct and get back to some big-game hunting fun than to match wits with a member of the Ursus clan?
Going on a bear hunt is an exciting endeavor, but it’s one that will undoubtedly leave you with lots of questions. One of the main questions you may have may revolve around what the best caliber for bears would be. That depends on some serious factors, not the least of which is, what kind of bear are you hunting? The old saying of "walk softly and carry a big stick" was never more true than when it comes to heading afield after any member of the bear family.
Talkin' About bears
This is a pretty big black bear.
For North American concerns, we are really talking about three main species of bears. Don't worry, we'll break these down too to make it a little more simple and confusing all at the same time.
Grizzly Bears - This group actually includes a lot of different bears that aren't exactly the same. For the most part, grizzly bears are interior land bears. This is what you'd find in the Alaskan interior, and the areas in the lower 48 that have grizzly bears, like Wyoming and Montana. These bears are big, with a distinctive hump around the shoulder area, which is where the name comes from. These bears have a broader range, with there being roughly one bear for every 15 square miles.
Brown Bears - Many people use brown bears and grizzly bears interchangeably. This isn't truly accurate. Brown bears are found in Coastal Alaska. they eat more salmon and are generally larger than interior grizzly bears. Depending upon where you're at, there can be as many as one bear for every square mile.
Kodiak Bears - Some consider the bears of Alaska's Kodiak Island archipelago as a brown bear. That is somewhat true, except that the bears on Kodiak are genetically different than their mainland cousins. They tend to be a little bigger still with males reaching 1,500 pounds and 10 feet tall or more. There are roughly one bear for every 0.7 miles of land in the island chain.
Polar bears - The white bears of the arctic are big and aggressive. The males can weigh in the 1,300-1,400 pound range and they can reach the 10-foot tall mark. With Polar Bears spending so much time on the sea ice, polar bears are actually classified as a marine mammal.
Black bears - This is the largest bear population that covers all of North America. Black bears come in multiple color variations, including black, brown, cream, and a blueish-gray with a population of bears that exist in glacier areas. Black bears can reach 600-700 pounds or more, and can reach 7 feet in height. Density varies greatly, with some areas having more than one bear every square mile. Midwest states have seen exploding bear populations, with states like Michigan having the fastest growing black bear population in the country.
Hunting bears
For the big bears, in other words every bear other than black bears, the most common way to hunt them is via spot and stalk. This means good optics are a must and in most cases, you'll need to use a guide. Trust me when I say that using a guide is a good idea. You shouldn't really go bear hunting without some back up.
Polar bear hunting is done in the far reaches and is very limited these days and with good reason. There aren't as many bears as there used to be. Most of the hunting is done through native populations, using a permit they are able to sell. Keep in mind that if you hunt polar bears in Canadian land, you can't use a suppressor. Oh, and one other thing, most experienced bear guides will say that once you're hunting a polar bear and are within its range, it can likely be hunting you at the same time.
Black bear hunting is done through several ways. Spot and stalk is popular in certain regions. Often, black bears are hunted over bait stations or by using dogs to run the bear. If you want to experience bear hunting, black bears are easily the most accessible and economic way to get in on a bear hunting adventure. While the other bears species are generally considered not edible, black bears are very tasty and make for great dinner fare when cooked right.
Understanding a Bear's Kill Zone
The amount of power and the sheer size of a big brown bear can't be truly experienced through a photo, but think of a c car-sized animal with sharp claws and teeth, barreling at you full of rage.
A bear that is hit with a good bullet in the right spot will not last long, and it’s actually an easy animal to kill if you know where to aim. However, if you don’t hit it in the right spot, you can obviously irritate the bear, which can lead to some dangerous consequences. This is why a well-timed and well-placed shot is so important in bear hunting — oftentimes, you’ll only have one shot at it, so you’ll want to make it count.
Bears are dense creatures that are made up of thick fur and skin, muscle, and plenty of fat. Because of their anatomy, it’s actually more beneficial to go for a double lung shot than it is to go for the heart. Bears are seemingly constantly moving in some way, shape, or form, and because of this, it can be hard to get an accurate shot off. Be patient and wait for either a broadside shot or a slightly quartering shot with the onside front shoulder forward or straight down. If you can get a solid shot in like this, you should be golden.
This is where using a suppressor is a great idea for bear hunting. Suppressors reduce the sound and make your practice sessions better and easier on your ears. Most good suppressors also mitigate some of the felt recoil and increase your accuracy by helping to further stabilize the bullet. With bear hunting, you want to be able to add in a quick follow-up shot if needed, and a suppressor makes it easier to get you back on target for that chance.
Penetration is extremely important. As mentioned earlier, all of the thick fur, skin, muscle, and fat make it hard for a bullet or arrow to make it through the bear, which is why you want to wait for a shot that will have both an entry and an exit point. This will put two holes in the bear and will lead to more blood escaping the body, which in turn weakens the bear and gives a hunter a better chance of success.
What Ammo Can Kill a Bear?
There is a trend in hunting these days of using smaller bullets to take down big game. If that is your thing, well, more power to you. That's not how I roll, especially when it comes to bear hunting. I want a big bullet traveling with a lot of oomph behind it.
I remember reading a story about a guy who was small game hunting with a .22lr and he was attacked by a brown bear. He got off one shot and managed to kill the bear with a brain shot. Generally speaking, however, if you are attacked by a bear and start popping off .22 rounds, you're just going to make the bear mad so that it eats you with an attitude.
The point I'm making here is, carry enough gun to do the job and make sure that you're comfortable with the gun and can shooting it accurately and quickly. It helps to make sure that your rifle likes the ammo you're using, too. You want the performance you need, and it must cycle cleanly.
Best Bear Ammunition
You may hear of people looking for the best ammo for stopping bears in their tracks. Well, that usually isn't the case. It depends on the bear, the conditions and you.
Best ammo for big bears - .375 H&H Magnum
The .375 H&H Magnum is essentially the official gun of Alaska. It is a popular gun amongst big game hunters in Africa, too, so you can rest assured that it will translate to your bear hunt. I love the .375 H&H. I used to be nervous of the recoil, but have actually found it to be softer than some smaller calibers. That and when I'm afield with one, I'm usually doing something really cool. For me, a Winchester Model 70 is the perfect platform for this classic cartridge.
A .375 H&H has the ability to launch a 270-grain bullet at 4,300 ft.-lbs and 2,7000 fps, which will put a massive hole into any target it comes across. You may also benefit from using a rifle that can quickly send a follow-up shot in case the first bullet doesn’t do the trick, which may be the case if you don’t get an accurate shot off.
This one has so many variables. If you're hunting the bigger bears found in the Midwest, a .300 WM is my suggested caliber. These can be big bears pushing 700 pounds. A .300 will do the job very effectively. If forced to pick just one, I would suggest the .300WM for extra power behind the bullet. There are some variations which we will go over depending on your style of hunting.
The .300 win mag is very adaptive. You can use bigger bullets for bears, and drop down for whitetails and other game. There are so many great rifles chambered in .300WM, too. I like a Federal load with a 180-grain Barnes Triple shock copper bullet pushing 2,960 fps at the muzzle and over 3,500 Ft.-lbs. of energy. If you're looking for a .300WM that is extra maneuverable with a suppressor attached, check out the Mossberg Patriot Carbine with a 20-inch threaded barrel.
Best Black Bear Ammo with dogs - .45-70 Government
This cartridge has been one of the most popular big game cartridges for decades now, and it’s easy to see why — it’s versatile, it’s powerful and it comes out of the barrel with intense speed. Many hunters in Alaska rely on it due to its ability to send a massive 325-grain projectile at 2,000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs from the muzzle. If you have a lever-action rifle and need something that’s reliable and powerful, then this may be the best caliber for you.
If you're running dogs, you're going to want a rifle that can handle the terrain and the quick shot opportunities that often come up. It is hard to beat a Henry lever action .45-70.
Best Caliber For Stand hunting Black Bears - .30-06
Oh my - did I actually say the .30-06 is the best caliber for some form of big game hunting? Yes, I did. It's not the sexiest, or the newest, but let's face it - an Ought Six could handle any bear out there and likely has. Load it heavy for bigger bears, and load down for deer and other game. The .30-06 is a rifle caliber we likely all have and it just flat works still. Plus you will find ammo for it everywhere.
There are so many loads for the .30-06 and they all work. A simple and highly effective load is a 180-grain Federal Fusion. 2,700fps at the muzzle and 2,912 ft.-lbs. of energy means it has the thumping power you need to take on any bear. You can grab a suppressor-ready Winchester XPR rifle and have a great hunting platform.
If you’re wanting to utilize something that is pretty likely to stop a charging bear with a couple of well-placed shots, then you’ll want plenty of firepower and nothing thumps like a 12-gauge slug. Any time you're chucking a 300-grain hunk of copper and lead, steamrolling out of the barrel at 2,000fps, whatever you're aiming at is going to have a bad day.
While a semi-auto shotgun is nice and if you're in a bad spot, you might not want to have to stand there and cycle a pump action, a pump is realistically the most reliable option you have for a defensive shotgun. My personal choice is a Benelli SuperNova. There isn't much for shotgun suppressors that would be a good fit for a 12-gauge slug gun. In fact, I wouldn't recommend one. There might be one coming soon, so stay tuned. I'll keep you posted.
Best handgun Caliber for Bear - .44 Magnum/10mm
When it comes to handguns, you have revolvers and pistols. Which one is best for bear country? I look at it this way. Pick whichever one you shoot best. If you're a serious handgun hunter and are going after bears, you're likely using a big caliber revolver, like a .454 Casull, or even a .500 S&W. Those will definitely do the job. I selected a .44 mag for this list simply because it is a big bullet with a lot of punch and is a bit easier to shoot with. You can find ammo to practice with at a lower cost than you will the bigger cartridges.
The pistol shooters out there will want to look at a good 10mm. This is the more powerful pistol cartridge that can be found in common handguns. Yeah, there are some bigger ones out there, but most don't seem like viable options. There is a new 200-grain Swift A-Frame load for the 10mm that looks really interesting. 1,100 FPS and 520 ft.lbs. at the muzzle. I'd love to match that to a new FN 510 and see how it does.
Give Yourself the Advantage of Bear Hunting Suppressed
When you’re hunting a bear, you’re hunting one of the most dangerous predators in the wild, which is why it’s important to take every single advantage that you can. One of the ways that you can do this is by hunting with a suppressor from Silencer Central A suppressor can provide you with a quiet and accurate shot that will benefit you as a hunter every time that you take the field. Shop our selection of silencers today
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
